Artist Statement & Resume

Statement

"My love affair with form is evident in all of my work, which earned me artistic merit scholarships and academic grants from the University of Hartford Art School in West Hartford, Connecticut. There I received my fine arts degree in studio art concentrating in sculpture and printmaking. Since then I have exhibited widely including Solo exhibitions at the University of Connecticut's Alexey von Schlippe Gallery, Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven and at the Nash-Zimmer Transportation Center, which was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, State of Connecticut's Office of the Arts and Windham Arts. I have become an elected member of the National Association of Women Artists, Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and Connecticut Women Artists. I have been juried into numerous group exhibitions and exhibited at the University of Connecticut's Jorgenson Gallery, New Britain Museum of American Art, Mystic Museum of Art and Benson Park Sculpture Garden. I have won awards at all these places and even a public commission for a life sized cast bronze sculpture titled Melody that was placed in the renowned Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado. Additionally, the master printers at Modern Multiples in Los Angeles, California have collected a full range of my serigraphs."

"My art is the way I explore ideas concerning both day-to-day life as well as more profound ideas surrounding relationships, stages of life and culture. It is a meditative practice of sorts that helps me stop and think about issues that are of interest to me. The act of creating forces me to slow down and think through an idea. As I work I find layers of meaning, both intentional and unintentional, become apparent filling me with delight and wonder. I create my work in series’, such as Cosmic Cow, Dance, East West and Space, so I can fully investigate each subject. The size of the series is determined by what I need to think through and what holds my interest. Over the years I have developed a personal visual language that uses symbolism and surrealism to transform my subject matter into archetypal images giving my work a mythical quality filled with layers of meaning. While I use a variety of materials, the ideas are the driving force behind these visual statements not the materials."

"The historically important artists I most admire are; Kathe Kollwitz, a German Expressionistic printmaker, Remedios Varo, a Mexican Surrealistic painter, Georgia O'Keeffe, an American Modern painter, Paul Gauguin, a French Post Impressionist painter and Brancusi, a Romanian Minimalist sculptor. These very different artists all inspired me to create my own visual language, which is accessible to others, while remaining intimately personal. Today I find inspiration wherever I happen to be. Whether it is here in the states, or when I lived in China, or traveling in other countries; I find if I remain open to my surroundings there is ample material for thought, which leads me to creation. One of my favorite sayings is, 'Everyone is influenced by everything they see, read or hear so choose your influences wisely'. "

Kathleen Zimmerman

Resume

Education

BFA

University of Hartford Art School majoring in sculpture & printmaking

*attended on artistic merit scholarships and academic grants

Experience

Zimmerman Fine Art Studio

artist and owner

Lands End Sculpture Center

monumental mold maker

Irving Robbins Middle School

art teacher for 7th and 8th grade public school children

Rossi Metal Sculpture

metal shop supervisor, metal worker and plasma cutter

University of Hartford Art School

woodshop supervisor and art student

Art Castings of Colorado

foundry worker learning all aspects of bronze casting

Selected Exhibitions

Invitational

University of Connecticut

Late Summer Exhibition, Alexey von Schlippe Gallery, Solo

National Invitational Sculpture Show, Group

University of Hartford

Alumni Exhibitions, Group

Graduation Exhibition, Two-person

Farmington Valley Arts Center

Symbolic & Surreal, Solo

Juried

Nash-Zimmer Transportation Center

Artists Live, Solo

*Sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Connecticut Office of the Arts and WindhamArts

Kehler Liddell Gallery

Couples Exhibition, Solo

New Members Exhibition, Group

*Membership on merit

Mystic Museum of Art

Home Exhibition, Group

Members & Elected Artists Exhibitions, Group

The 59th Regional, Group

Black & White Exhibition, Group

Memory Exhibition, Group

*Award for ‘Works on Paper’

National Association of Women Artists (NYC)

Open Small Works Exhibition, Group

Ev(e)ulotion Exhibition, Group

Clothing Optional Exhibition, Group

New Members Exhibition, Group

*Membership on merit for ‘Works on Paper’

Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts’

Annual Exhibitions, Group

*Membership on merit for ‘Works on Paper and Sculpture’

University of Connecticut's Jorgenson Gallery

Connecticut Women Artists Annual Juried Exhibition, Group

*Award for ‘Works on Paper’

Slater Museum of Art

Connecticut Women Artists Annual Juried Exhibitions, Group

*Membership on merit for ‘Works on Paper and Sculpture’

New Britain Museum of American Art

Nor'easter Exhibition, Group

*’Award for Sculpture’

Benson Park Sculpture Garden

Sculpture in the Park Exhibitions, Group

*Public commission for life-sized sculpture

Memberships

National Association of Women Artists, Inc., Juried *elected member

Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, Juried *elected member

Connecticut Women Artists, Juried *elected member

University of Hartford Art School, *alumni

Grants

State of Connecticut Office of the Arts 2017 Regional Arts Grant

University of Hartford Art School 1995 Artistic Merit Scholarship

University of Hartford Art School 1995 Academic Scholarship

University of Hartford Art School 1994 Artistic Merit Scholarship

University of Hartford Art School 1994 Academic Scholarship

Collections

Modern Multiples Print Studio in Los Angeles, California

Benson Park Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado

References

“It gives me great pleasure to recommend Kathleen Zimmerman to you. I worked both formally and informally with Kathleen throughout her years of study at the Hartford Art School. Kathleen quite simply is a wonderful artist and person. She started classes at Hartford Art School with a lot of talent and through much hard work and dedication rapidly became one of the school’s pace setters as well as one of the school’s prized students. Kathleen always works at her peak performance and so became an inspiration to all of those around her. She is extremely bright and assimilates her experiences directly into her work. Kathleen is a solid draughts person who is constantly working to improve her drawing skills. Her work, though sometimes representational, works on the abstract level as well. She has a knack for developing the subtleties that are present in her subject and presenting them powerfully to her viewer. I feel her work is sensitive and thoroughly engaging. Kathleen Zimmerman is a delightful person. Her personality is cheerful and upbeat and her dedication is relentless. I enthusiastically recommend Kathleen to you.”

Fred Wessel, artist, tenured professor and retired head of the printmaking department at University of Hartford Art School.

"Kathleen's intricate, delicately layered graphite drawings each appear to come together to form the complex entity. As with life, each lovely drawing is made up of so many ethereal textures, shades and shapes that you want to look at more deeply to experience the emotions visually laid out before you."

Julia Provone, artist, curator of Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art located on University of Connecticut’s Avery Campus in Groton, CT.

“Kathleen is one of the most productive and innovative artists who I have the pleasure of knowing. Her style is easy to recognize both of her drawings and her sculptures. Her collection of drawings, which were inspired by her stay in China, are both imaginative and masterful. The fluidity of her lines and the softness of her shading, compose a powerful and exquisite delicacy that captivate the viewer. The same holds true for her sculptures with surfaces that flow like landscapes or waterways. I would recommend Kathleen for her professionalism, her consistent and prolific work habits, her attention to form and content using symbolism, detail, composition and originality. I have admired her work since we met years ago - fellow sculptors and friends. Her manner of living and creating Art are abundant with sensitivity and thoughtful perceptions. She translates her life into volumes of expressive works, both visual and literary and her character is as amiable as her Art."

"Benson Sculpture Garden...this public treasure annually draws tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe. It has been recognized as one of the 200 most important modern and contemporary art sites around the world and as one of the 20 must-see contemporary art sites across the USA. Kathleen's sculpture, Melody, was selected for permanent placement in Benson Sculpture Garden in 1992. It is a beautiful piece... And, after more than 20 years, it continues to be a favorite piece in our collection."

Polly Juneau, Chairman on the Board of Directors of the Loveland High Plains Arts Council.